1964
The City of Saint Paul digs the Southport Barge Channel, creating a major barge-rail-truck intermodal terminal just south of Holman Field.
1973
WSCO holds its first environment-focused meeting at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, where residents raise concerns about noise, rat infestations, and poor maintenance in the Southport industrial district.
1974–1980
Ashbach Construction seeks to move its headquarters to Southport and proposes building an asphalt plant on the site. West Side residents strongly opposed the potential odors and pollution, and after a series of heated community meetings the project was dropped. Community pressure also resulted in Port Authority maintenance improvements, including tree planting.
1992
WSCO’s Land Use Committee addresses noise and fumes from Chicago & Northwestern Railroad operations serving Great Western Recycling.
1995
About 20 Southport households report severe disruption from 100-car trains idling and banging railcars at night. Residents described shaking beds, falling pictures, and even cracked walls from the vibrations. WSCO pursues complaints with city and federal agencies, but finds railroads operate with limited oversight.
1995–1998
Although Alter Trading Company was generally well-regarded in Southport for dismantling cars for materials reuse, WSCO fought to prevent construction of a new hazardous car shredder. Concerns focused on toxic metals and fine particulates that would be released into the air. Residents organized the NO SHAMS campaign (Neighbors Opposed to Stop the Hazardous Metal Shredder). WSCO invested thousands of dollars in support, and petition drives gathered 1,700 signatures early on and over 2,500 later. The campaign successfully blocked the project, showing broad neighborhood opposition.
1998
At a WSCO meeting, residents discuss plans to upgrade Barge Channel Road with storm sewer drainage, tree plantings, possible bicycle paths, and maybe an enhanced South St. Paul gateway on Concord St. This is also when community members begin sounding the alarm: if a train backs up Barge Channel Road, there is no way for fire trucks or ambulances to reach the area.
2007
At a WSCO environmental committee meeting, Dr. Cecilia Martinez of the Women’s Environmental Institute highlights 36 toxic sites on the West Side, many near Barge Channel Road, based on state and regional data.
2010
Southport dock wall is improved, strengthening the barge terminal’s infrastructure.
2011
WSCO participates in negotiations around Terminal No. 2 and Southport expansion. A land trade results in 16 acres being donated for Saint Paul’s first continuous off-road riverfront trail, aligning with the Great River Passage Master Plan.
2014
As part of the Community Air Monitoring project, MPCA installs an air monitor on Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. Findings show elevated levels of arsenic, formaldehyde, and fine particulates, raising community concerns about industrial impacts along Barge Channel Road.
2015
WSCO and residents oppose expansion of Hawkins Inc.’s chemical operations along Barge Channel Road, successfully negotiating to prevent onsite storage of hydrochloric acid. Before the year ends, the Saint Paul City Council approves a resolution directing the Saint Paul Planning Commission to undertake a study addressing Southport safety and health issues.
2016
Protect Our Riverfront Together (PORT) forms out of WSCO’s Hawkins study group, growing into an independent organization with 330 members focused on riverfront and Barge Channel Road issues.
2017
A chlorine rail car partially derails near Barge Channel Road, highlighting emergency access risks. While nothing spilled, no county or city emergency staff are notified. This incident helps underscore the urgency of the Southport Industrial District Study (commissioned by the city council in 2015), which is released that same year and documents safety hazards, blocked emergency routes, and environmental concerns. The study recommends several actions for community members, the Port Authority, and Southport district tenants to take to mitigate these concerns. WSCO’s Health and Environmental Justice Committee begins to pursue these recommendations and develop an emergency management plan.
2020
MPCA installs a permanent monitor to further investigate their findings from 2015. Since then, the secondary TSP daily standard (which measures the pollution limit that affects visibility, crops, animals, and buildings) has been exceeded every single year.
2024
The WSCO board passes a resolution calling for a new egress route, an Emergency Planning Zone with evacuation plans, and actions to cut air pollution. Demands include paving unpaved surfaces, reducing truck idling with annual reports, and requiring MPCA to share air monitoring data publicly at a yearly community forum.
2025
State legislators secure a $636,000 Railroad Crossing Elimination grant to study a grade-separated crossing at the Southport River Terminal. At a Southport Action Meeting, partners discuss an emergency response plan using the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) as a framework. Officials highlight the need for better air monitoring, dust reduction, and traffic safety improvements, while interim steps to address truck idling and congestion are considered. Residents living in the Southport neighborhood begin meeting regularly to share lived experiences and launch a campaign for change.
Special thanks to Ralph Brown, co-founder of WSCO, and Bob Craft for sharing information that made this timeline possible. Click here to read Ralph Brown's History of Southport Industrial Area development and community environmental struggles.